months

sleep, and for heaven's sake, eat properly and not just junk food." I smile at my mom, taking

hug and pinching my cheeks. "We've already talked about how

too." I lift my face and

hy didn't you find one here?" My mom is sobb

eady twenty-three years old." Dad lets

nd Norfolk isn't that far from Columbia." I wi

"I still think it's not right. And what about Tom? What

ith my decision. After the summer, we'll get married. What

ding preparations," sh

ghtly, understanding that she won't and doesn't want to understand. I

wrist, drawing attention to his watch. "Your f

hing my mom's hair as I step

ove

d become extremely stressful, leaving me on the brink of collapse, in a suffocating way that even the last trimester of my Business Administration degree hadn't done. Tom's unexpected marriage proposal during my graduation dinner was a point-blank shot, but not because I didn't see myself with him. Yes, I had always known that Tom would be the man of my life, that we would share our story, but at that moment, what was once a certain

dn't

ument and enjoy some makeup sex that went a bit further than our usual vanilla routine. We rarely fought, always in sync on everything: music, movies, football teams, food... The only thing Tom and I didn't share was curiosity about what lay beyond all that. The unexpected, this urge to explore other places and meet other people consumed me, to learn more about my own body, to discover the many ways to find pleasure and happiness. Tom

music, and guest lists. Since when was there so much variety of paper for wedding invitations? I was watching my whole life being decided between ice white and pearl white, as if it were the most important decision in the world. With a forced smile on my face, I found myself suffering between my mom and my future mother-in-law, learning to be the perfect wife for the future anchor of the seven o'clock news. One night, I found myself crying uncontrollably, and in the midst of that breakdown, I felt selfish for not being happy about my upcoming marriage. Tom moving to California only made me more anxious

mine, and I got lost in his calm gaze. "I'm not saying I'm against this marriage, but maybe it would be good, just once, to do what you really want, to make your own

er, who had somehow gotten lost, screaming inside me. I turned my eyes

man who loves you." My dad lifted my chin, bringing my gaze back to his. "We can